NBC cancelled Manifest back in June just days after the Season 3 finale introduced a whole bunch of new twists and turns, but fans weren't ready to say goodbye to the series just because the network gave the axe. After well over a month of pushes for a renewal from everybody ranging from the showrunner to the stars to viewers new and old, NBC reportedly may be saving Manifest after all.
NBC is communicating with Manifest production company Warner Bros. TV regarding a potential renewal, according to Deadline, following Manifest continuing to perform strongly in streaming on Netflix and the #SaveManifest movement not losing steam even weeks after the cancellation. Neither NBC nor Warner Bros. TV have officially commented at the time of writing, but there are other factors that have arisen in the weeks since Manifest was cancelled that could work in favor of a renewal.
News broke recently that the Law & Order: For The Defense series that was slated to take over Manifest's time slot on Thursday nights to lead into Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime for a full three hours of Law & Order action was cancelled. NBC is working on another Law & Order spinoff to replace it, but The Blacklist is taking the Thursday time slot in the fall, and it may be a while before the next Law & Order project is ready for primetime.
Additionally, Good Girls was cancelled as well after cast negotiations fell apart, despite expectations that it would return at least for a fifth season. The cancellations of For the Defense and Good Girls may have opened up some primetime slots (and some funds) that weren't available back when NBC gave Manifest the axe, which was before anybody could have predicted just how big Manifest would become after being cancelled.
That's not to say that Manifest is 100% coming back to NBC, so fans shouldn't start dancing in the streets just yet. For one thing, the cast is reportedly no longer under options for the series, and participation in the #SaveManifest campaign doesn't automatically translate to all of them being able to return for a Season 4 even if NBC gives the green light. Still, NBC did bring back Timeless after initially cancelling it, so there is precedent for the network canceling and then un-canceling a show.
Interestingly, NBC isn't the only platform that has reemerged as a potential home for Manifest Season 4. Although Netflix decided not to pursue a fourth season of Manifest despite strong streaming numbers back in June due to complicated digital rights and the expired cast options, the streamer has reportedly resumed conversations with Warner Bros. TV.
Manifest has been strong on Netflix's Top 10 list ever since the NBC cancellation, although there are complications that could make a Netflix renewal more unlikely. Warner Bros. TV sold Manifest internationally already, whereas Netflix usually wants global rights for original series. So, is Manifest enough of a hit streaming for Netflix to give the order, or are the odds better for an NBC renewal? Or is Manifest truly dead? Is a TV movie still a possibility?
Only time will tell, but you can find the first two seasons of Manifest available streaming on Netflix, and Season 3 streaming on Peacock. For what's on the way in the 2021-2022 TV season no matter if Manifest gets a Season 4, take a look at our 2021 fall TV premiere schedule.
